Contender: 'Extremely Noisy and very Close'

Even though honours buzz with this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's publish-9/11 urban journey remains very noisy, Warner Bros. is playing its cards incredibly close: Media will most likely notice finally major competitors. Whether that's due to worry, confidence or simply last-minute tinkering remains being shown, but producer Scott Rudin seems to own come up with the sun and rain as being a master media chef.Foer's narrative -- about precocious nine-year-old Oskar's search for this really is of his dad's dying on earth Trade Center, and also the grandparents' link to the firebombing of Dresden -- signifies the identical combination of whimsy, magical realism, background moral uplift permeating scribe Eric Roth's Oscar-winning "Forrest Gump" and -nominated "Benjamin Button." Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock provide B.O. insurance, and helmer Stephen Daldry has nicely proven skill with moppets in "Billy Elliot," all-star casts in "The Several hours" and weighty styles in "The Visitors."Daldry, Roth, d.p. Chris Menges and editor Claire Simpson -- the ultimate three formerly Oscared -- should figure strongly in year-finish balloting, as will the supporting turn of Max Von Sydow as Oskar's haunted father. Recognition for your legendary Ingmar Bergman mainstay, nominated just once before for "Pelle the Conqueror," may be seen as overdue in the category that's already shown useful for recognizing beloved veterans (Connery, Coburn, Ameche, Palance) rather than an honorary statuette. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Steve Guttenberg Talks Misdirection, 'Party Down,' and Brotherly Love

Steve Guttenberg Talks Misdirection, 'Party Down,' and Brotherly Love By Daniel Holloway November 4, 2011 Photo by Getty Images Steve Guttenberg Steve Guttenberg likes to get to the theater early. Most days, since previews for "Relatively Speaking" began in September at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Guttenberg arrives a few hours before the curtain. He meditates, warms up his voice, and spends some time wandering the auditorium. Eventually he makes his way to the back row of the balcony and has a seat. "It's craft," the actor says. "The craft part of it is great. There is a film craft, but theater is a different kind of craft."For most of his career, Guttenberg has been a film actor, best known for his work in hit 1980s movies such as "Cocoon," "3 Men and a Baby," and the "Police Academy" series. This fall he takes the stage in "Relatively Speaking," a collection of three one-act plays, each written by a scribe who, like Guttenberg, is most identified with screen work but has done his or her fair share of theater: Ethan Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen. Guttenberg takes the lead in the final piece of the trifecta, Allen's "Honeymoon Motel," which begins with a middle-aged man in a tuxedo and a bridal gownclad younger woman bursting excitedly into a hotel room, ready for some post-ceremony nookie. But not all is as it appears, and soon the suite is filled to bursting with family members, a rabbi, and a pizza delivery man, all arguing over the relationship between Jerry (Guttenberg) and Nina (Ari Graynor).This isn't Guttenberg's first time on Broadwayhe took over for Timothy Hutton in the early-1990s production of "Prelude to a Kiss" at the Helen Hayes Theatrebut it is his first time working with Allen and director John Turturro, both of whom he praises highly. "We rehearsed every day with John, and Woody was there for a lot of the rehearsals," he says. "We started in August, and it's just one of the best creative experiences I ever had."1. He's a Magician's Apprentice (Sort Of). "Woody is one of the masters of all time of misdirection," Guttenberg says. He's talking about the moment a few minutes into the play whenspoiler alertit's revealed that Jerry isn't the groom but rather the groom's stepfather, who interrupted the ceremony to declare his love for the bride and found those feelings requited. "It's a great respect to the audience to give them such misdirection. I think from his days being a magician, he loves magic. When you misdirect people, people love it." Like in a magic show, the moment of the reveal in "Honeymoon" is a crowd pleaser, drawing boisterous response from the audience. But earning that response requires careful work by Guttenberg and Graynor in those first few minutes. "The greatest respect I can give the audience is to fool them that we're married," he says. "I love playing it. The greatest part of any character is when you can play it honestly. He's not lying at all to the audience. I never tell the audience what's going on. I just am in love with this girl. So when it's revealed, it's a wonderful part to play because I'm playing the truth all the time."2. He Loves a Good 'Male Romantic Scene.' The revelation about Jerry and Nina's relationship comes while Nina is offstage, donning some wedding-night lingerie. Jerry hears a knockit's more like a set-rattling poundon the door and answers it to find his friend Eddie (Grant Shaud), who, in confronting Jerry, informs the audience of the truth. "Grant and I are friends, and when I start connecting with him it's great," he says. "I love all kinds of work, but there's something great about doing a buddy scene. It's the male romantic scene." Guttenberg's career picked up steam in 1982, when he starred in one of the quintessential buddy movies of that era, Barry Levinson's "Diner." He cites it as one of a list of great films that showcase the power of bro-love. "You love your buddy," he says. "There's nothing better. 'The Magnificent Seven,' 'The Great Escape,' 'Diner.' Buddy movies. Guys talking. So I love that scene with Grant."3. He's Serious About Stage and Screen. "You approach the work the same," Guttenberg says of shifting gears from screen to stage. "You just get serious about it." Not that the mediums don't come with their own challenges. For Guttenberg, the biggest difference is the most obviousthe night-after-night nature of theater versus the stop-start way of film and television. "When you're in a film, you get it right that day and then you move on," he says. "[Onstage] it's a different timing. You're making the timing, not the editoralthough you can make your own timing in films, but sometimes it doesn't work and the editor makes it work, or it works and the editor does something that makes you look bad."4. He Likes to Party Down. Younger audiences may know Guttenberg best from his appearance in the Starz series "Party Down," a comedy about a group of Los Angeles cater-waiters. The series lasted only two seasons, but it has developed a cult following. The season 2 episode "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday," in which the cast spends a day hanging out with the man himself, is considered a fan favorite. Guttenberg had worked with series star Adam Scott on several episodes of "Veronica Mars" years earlier. When he spotted Scott in a Times Square ad for the then-new "Party Down," he left his friend a phone message congratulating him on the show. "He called me back and said, 'Hey, we're thinking about doing a show on you.' So I said, 'Oh great.' Eventually he sent [the script] to me, and I said, 'Oh, this'll be great.' " In the episode, Guttenberg acts as a sort of friendly benefactor, opening his lavish home to the caterers and offering plenty of booze and career-nurturing advice. He says that the humor comes from how true the situation is. "Most of the time when you have somebody who is a big star, they're usually very nice people and very grateful people," he says. "You know, the attention and the money they receive and the salaries they receive are ridiculous. They're way overpaid. There are a lot of big stars that when they're around people that they can pamper a little bit, they love it."5. There are Things He Can't Talk About. Next up for Guttenberg is "A Novel Romance," an indie film he stars in and co-produced, which will open in limited release this month. But there's one potential project he won't discuss: a "Police Academy" sequel, about which rumors have circulated for years. "I know they're developing a script," he says. If a project develops, will he do it? "I can't talk about that." Steve Guttenberg Talks Misdirection, 'Party Down,' and Brotherly Love By Daniel Holloway November 4, 2011 Steve Guttenberg PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images Steve Guttenberg likes to get to the theater early. Most days, since previews for "Relatively Speaking" began in September at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Guttenberg arrives a few hours before the curtain. He meditates, warms up his voice, and spends some time wandering the auditorium. Eventually he makes his way to the back row of the balcony and has a seat. "It's craft," the actor says. "The craft part of it is great. There is a film craft, but theater is a different kind of craft."For most of his career, Guttenberg has been a film actor, best known for his work in hit 1980s movies such as "Cocoon," "3 Men and a Baby," and the "Police Academy" series. This fall he takes the stage in "Relatively Speaking," a collection of three one-act plays, each written by a scribe who, like Guttenberg, is most identified with screen work but has done his or her fair share of theater: Ethan Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen. Guttenberg takes the lead in the final piece of the trifecta, Allen's "Honeymoon Motel," which begins with a middle-aged man in a tuxedo and a bridal gownclad younger woman bursting excitedly into a hotel room, ready for some post-ceremony nookie. But not all is as it appears, and soon the suite is filled to bursting with family members, a rabbi, and a pizza delivery man, all arguing over the relationship between Jerry (Guttenberg) and Nina (Ari Graynor).This isn't Guttenberg's first time on Broadwayhe took over for Timothy Hutton in the early-1990s production of "Prelude to a Kiss" at the Helen Hayes Theatrebut it is his first time working with Allen and director John Turturro, both of whom he praises highly. "We rehearsed every day with John, and Woody was there for a lot of the rehearsals," he says. "We started in August, and it's just one of the best creative experiences I ever had."1. He's a Magician's Apprentice (Sort Of). "Woody is one of the masters of all time of misdirection," Guttenberg says. He's talking about the moment a few minutes into the play whenspoiler alertit's revealed that Jerry isn't the groom but rather the groom's stepfather, who interrupted the ceremony to declare his love for the bride and found those feelings requited. "It's a great respect to the audience to give them such misdirection. I think from his days being a magician, he loves magic. When you misdirect people, people love it." Like in a magic show, the moment of the reveal in "Honeymoon" is a crowd pleaser, drawing boisterous response from the audience. But earning that response requires careful work by Guttenberg and Graynor in those first few minutes. "The greatest respect I can give the audience is to fool them that we're married," he says. "I love playing it. The greatest part of any character is when you can play it honestly. He's not lying at all to the audience. I never tell the audience what's going on. I just am in love with this girl. So when it's revealed, it's a wonderful part to play because I'm playing the truth all the time."2. He Loves a Good 'Male Romantic Scene.' The revelation about Jerry and Nina's relationship comes while Nina is offstage, donning some wedding-night lingerie. Jerry hears a knockit's more like a set-rattling poundon the door and answers it to find his friend Eddie (Grant Shaud), who, in confronting Jerry, informs the audience of the truth. "Grant and I are friends, and when I start connecting with him it's great," he says. "I love all kinds of work, but there's something great about doing a buddy scene. It's the male romantic scene." Guttenberg's career picked up steam in 1982, when he starred in one of the quintessential buddy movies of that era, Barry Levinson's "Diner." He cites it as one of a list of great films that showcase the power of bro-love. "You love your buddy," he says. "There's nothing better. 'The Magnificent Seven,' 'The Great Escape,' 'Diner.' Buddy movies. Guys talking. So I love that scene with Grant."3. He's Serious About Stage and Screen. "You approach the work the same," Guttenberg says of shifting gears from screen to stage. "You just get serious about it." Not that the mediums don't come with their own challenges. For Guttenberg, the biggest difference is the most obviousthe night-after-night nature of theater versus the stop-start way of film and television. "When you're in a film, you get it right that day and then you move on," he says. "[Onstage] it's a different timing. You're making the timing, not the editoralthough you can make your own timing in films, but sometimes it doesn't work and the editor makes it work, or it works and the editor does something that makes you look bad."4. He Likes to Party Down. Younger audiences may know Guttenberg best from his appearance in the Starz series "Party Down," a comedy about a group of Los Angeles cater-waiters. The series lasted only two seasons, but it has developed a cult following. The season 2 episode "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday," in which the cast spends a day hanging out with the man himself, is considered a fan favorite. Guttenberg had worked with series star Adam Scott on several episodes of "Veronica Mars" years earlier. When he spotted Scott in a Times Square ad for the then-new "Party Down," he left his friend a phone message congratulating him on the show. "He called me back and said, 'Hey, we're thinking about doing a show on you.' So I said, 'Oh great.' Eventually he sent [the script] to me, and I said, 'Oh, this'll be great.' " In the episode, Guttenberg acts as a sort of friendly benefactor, opening his lavish home to the caterers and offering plenty of booze and career-nurturing advice. He says that the humor comes from how true the situation is. "Most of the time when you have somebody who is a big star, they're usually very nice people and very grateful people," he says. "You know, the attention and the money they receive and the salaries they receive are ridiculous. They're way overpaid. There are a lot of big stars that when they're around people that they can pamper a little bit, they love it."5. There are Things He Can't Talk About. Next up for Guttenberg is "A Novel Romance," an indie film he stars in and co-produced, which will open in limited release this month. But there's one potential project he won't discuss: a "Police Academy" sequel, about which rumors have circulated for years. "I know they're developing a script," he says. If a project develops, will he do it? "I can't talk about that."

Not such a long time ago Tales: When Snow White-colored Met Her Prince Charming

Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas Not such a long time ago there's a stylish princess, the fairest in many the land, who was simply banned from her kingdom with the Evil Full until an attractive prince found her save. This Sunday's episode of Once will give you a glimpse into Snow White-colored (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming's (Josh Dallas) first meeting, though ABC's take is different from that which you understand concerning the favorite anecdotes. Inside the original Snow White-colored, the Evil Full attempts to kill porcelain-skinned princess several occasions, eventually giving her a poisoned apple that puts Snow White-colored in to a deep, almost dying-like sleep. Prince Charming involves her save, waking her getting a sweet hug, and so they live happily ever after. In the world of Once, however, Snow and Charming's first meeting can be a tumultuous one. "The start of the storyline relies much more about bitterness, manipulation and envy," Goodwin states. "There's a really far strategy to use utilizing their moment of meeting to falling for one another.Inch ABC's Not such a long time ago turns favorite anecdotes into reality "There is this huge attraction after they first meet under very enjoyable conditions," adds Dallas, who hints that his Storybrooke character, the Someone Particularly in the coma, may be connected with someone else. "Who he's entangled with, it may be considered a genuine factor. It might be false recollections," according to him. Because the people of Storybrooke are stricken with amnesia, Goodwin states, "There's no way of their relationship being how it is in mythic land when he energizes. This amnesia which placed recollections are very prone to provide many obstacles." Who or what may be browsing their strategies by the actual existence? Which will be clarified in Sunday's episode of Once at 8/7c on ABC. For the time being, hit should be genuine along with your ideas.

Safe House Trailer Blasts In

No one is safe...Have you been hankering to see Denzel Washington back playing a truly nasty piece of work just as he was in Training Day? Then you'll be happy to watch the trailer for Safe House, which features exactly that, all in the service of a high-octane action thriller co-starring Ryan Reynolds. The trailer is online over at Apple.Directed by Snabba Cash's Daniel Espinosa, Safe House finds Reynolds as a CIA agent itching for more field experience. But, because you should always be careful what you wish for, he gets far more than he expects when the facility he's assigned to watch over gets a very high-profile "house guest": agent-turned-rogue assassin Tobin Frost (Washington).Turns out, some very bad people (yes, possibly even worse than Frost himself) have it in for the man, and will do everything they can do to make sure he's pushing up daisies. With the safe house compromised, the agent and his prisoner have to flee for their lives. No easy feat when one of you is a stone-cold killer with zero morals...{Safe House Trailer Blasts In}Also featuring Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Patrick and Joel Kinnaman, the movie will be out on February 24, 2012.

Ana Gasteyer Upped to Series Regular on Suburgatory

Ana Gasteyer Suburgatory's Ana Gasteyer is becoming a series regular on the ABC sitcom, Entertainment Weekly reports.Gasteyer plays Sheila Shay, the on-again-off-again PTA president and über-controlling mother of Lisa (Allie Grant), and neighbor to George (Jeremy Sisto) and Tessa (Jane Levy). Gasteyer describes her character as a "well-intended nightmare."Name that tune: This fall's new TV theme songsAfter receiving the news about her promotion, Gasteyer said, "I screamed and jumped for joy and then went right to the table read."Known for her stint on Saturday Night Live, Gasteyer memorably appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm this year.Suburgatory - recently picked up for a full season - airs Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

Silverman re-ups as Warners production prexy

SilvermanGreg Silverman has re-upped as production prexy at Warner Bros. Silverman will continue to oversee Warner Bros. Pictures' development activities and budget while reporting to division president Jeff Robinov. "Greg has a phenomenal aptitude for fostering filmmaker relationships and discovering new talent around town," said Robinov. "He demonstrates incredible leadership toward our creative team, and I am so pleased that he will continue to oversee our slate." Warners -- consistently among the top performers among the big six Hollywood studios -- said in the announcement that Silverman will also be charged with "seeking new opportunities to diversify and build upon the success the company has consistently achieved." Silverman joined Warner Bros. in 1999 as a junior exec. After a brief stint as SVP of production at Revolution Studios, he retrrned to Warners in 2002 as production veep, rising through the ranks while shepherding "The Dark Knight," "300," "The Hangover" and "Inception," among other films. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

'Paranormal Activity 3' Switched Eli Roth and Marilyn Manson Into 'Teenage Girls'

Whenever you think about Halloween, there's a high probability you think about Eli Roth. The horror maestro accounts for probably the most terrifying images during the last 10 years, and it has even transformed the way in which people view Halloween itself. So, why is this strong-stomached horror fan -- and the friend, goth rocker Marilyn Manson -- really scared? Try 'Paranormal Activity 3.' "It's fun to look at everyone attempt to one-up each other," Roth told America online TV's Maggie Furlong concerning the horror genre. "There's this kind of bleeding contest among company directors to determine who are able to develop the sickest factor, however for me, that's never what impressed me. What always impressed me were when things were clever. I am talking about, it's not hard to be disgusting -- you just need to choose an appearance part and choose a oral appliance eviscerate it. Its easy. What's very hard is 'Paranormal Activity 3.' I am talking about, how can you perform a movie, the 3rd one, where individuals are expecting something, they have seen it two times before, and you've got to surprise them, but simultaneously provide them with what they need. It's terrifying. I believe that that, for me personally, may be the finest. Hats on individuals men. Be it gory or bloodless, it's creativeness and originality that I am always astounded by.Inch Roth am astounded by the prior 'Paranormal Activity' films, he being there at night time on opening weekend with Marilyn Manson. "I was afraid!" he stated. "I was squealing like teenage women! I've bruises on my small leg while he was punching me with the whole film! "Literally I had been looking at the chair with my legs up, kicking my ft, and that he was slouched lower, slamming his elbow into my leg. [Laughs] I arrived on the scene from the movie with bruises from Marilyn Manson, and so i know he was afraid. The two of us were. It had been so frightening!" For additional on Roth, such as the gory particulars about his new Discovery Funnel special 'How Evil Are You Currently?A airing on March. 30 at 9 p.m. EDT, mind to America online TV. [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED